Franchitti Jumps To NASCAR?

Et tu, Dario?

ESPN.com is reporting that Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti will leave Indy Car for NASCAR in 2008. Franchitti, who is leading the Indy Car season series point chase heading into tomorrow's final race, is said to be joining Chip Ganassi's NASCAR team in the number 40 car.

At first glance, this annoys me. Why? Because I like open wheel racing. I grew up in Indy's heyday. Andretti. Mears. Unsers -- Bobby and Al. Foyt. While many of those guys could drive anything -- Big Wheels to pick-up trucks to F1 cars -- and did, the pinnacle of racing was the Indianapolis 500. That perception will never change for me, so when I hear of another blow to open wheel racing, I get ticked off.

(Truth be told, I've softened some on NASCAR in recent years. I find it tolerable. I guess I'm just not as impressed with Chevys, Fords and Toyotas going 100 mph when I see that on my drive five days a week.)

If Franchitti makes the jump he will be following in the footsteps of Juan Pablo Montoya, another open wheel racing star who was lured by the big money and enormous popularity of stock car racing. Montoya has spent 2007 in NASCAR getting tons of media attention, winning a race and angering the sport's traditional fans and fellow drivers alike. (Seems Juan is just a bit too aggressive for some.)

In addition to Franchitti and Montoya, Sam Hornish, Jr. is already running in some Busch Series races and may make the move to NASCAR full-time next year. Hornish was the Indy 500 and IRL series champion a year ago. If Franchitti and Hornish both jump at season's end, it will cap one of the biggest falls in the long decline of open wheel racing in North America.

Champ Car is not only losing it's biggest name, Sebastian Bourdais, to F1, but the series continues to cancel races. The IRL shut down the long-running race at Michigan International Speedway this year and could lose the last two Indy 500 winners to NASCAR. Yet, in spite of cancelled events, mediocre attendance and driver departures, neither side of open wheel racing's split can set aside their egos long enough to put the health of the sport first. It's not difficult to understand why drivers would opt for the financial security and stability NASCAR has to offer.

Good luck, Dario. I hate to see you go, but who knows? I may even watch a few more minutes of NASCAR next year.

Belated Detroit Grand Prix Pics

Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves in Turn # 6. Castroneves captured the pole at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, but crashed during the race. Both of Grand Prix promoter Roger Penske's cars are having tough seasons. I think it's safe to say that both Castroneves and Hornish are having disappointing seasons. (I fully expect Hornish to make the NASCAR jump in 2008. Who that leaves to drive Penske's #6 Indy Car becomes the question.)

An aside, I wish there was some seating along the back stretch. One of the appeals of Indy Car racing is the speed these cars can obtain. When I went to Michigan International Speedway a couple of years ago, the average speed was over 200 mph. While the road course does bring the speeds down, I'd still love to be able to watch the straight away portion.

Belated Detroit Grand Prix Pics

Here's Indy Car's biggest star, Danica Patrick, in Turn # 6. Remember, I'm a blogger, not a photographer. Also, keep in mind, that while this was a practice session, it's not like these cars stopped to give me a good photo op.

I admit that I've grown to like Danica. I'm nowhere near her biggest fan, however, I've grown to respect her performance. She's not the best driver in the circuit, but she can certainly hold her own in this series. I think she will win more than enough to placate the doubters.

As for Danica-mania? Well, it does bring people to the race and does give Indy Car some extra media attention. Although, I can't help but feel bad for the other drivers. Guys like Sam Hornish and Dan Wheldon have won the season series in Indy Car and the Indianapolis 500, but can't get 1/100th the amount of media attention. It just seems Danica gets a disproportionate amount of attention considering where Indy Car ranks in the American sports fan's priority list.

Basically, I wonder how can Danica be a big deal if Indy Car, isn't? And if Indy Car is a big deal, why can't guys who have won the season series or, more importantly, the sport's biggest race, get some love?

Belated Detroit Grand Prix Pics

A look at the flags in Grandstand # 2. While I consider myself an open wheel race fan, I came away from the Grand Prix with a great appreciation for the American Le Mans Series. While there were different classes of racing going on all at once, a factor I think hurts the series with non-race fans, I found the varying styles of cars to be a plus.

You had Corvettes and Audis on the track at the same time as Porsches and Acuras. I still couldn't tell you which car is in what class, but I thought the Belle Isle course might be even better suited for the ALMS field than the Indy Cars. (A more knowledgeable racing fan can correct me, if that's way off base.)

Belated Detroit Grand Prix Pics

Even though these are a week late, I did want to share some of the pictures I took from the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. Keep in mind that I am not a photographer. This one is of pit lane.